Chapter Twenty-One
Butler, Co-worker. Bride, Peacekeeper
Ciel watched William walk away in his technicoloured clothing, very much out of place on a man who was known for sticking with a black and white suit.
"Something's definitely dodgy about this circus," he muttered. "It seems worth it trying to question him, Sebastian…"
An arm reached out from behind him, and wrapped around his neck. Dagger held him close and smiled down at the boy.
"Come on, Smile, look lively! Time to practice, so you can keep up with Black and Kitten!" he said, dragging Ciel away.
"R-Right!"
Sebastian bowed his head in acknowledgment.
"Very good."
Marianne sweatdropped.
"Oh dear… I wonder how well that's going to work out."
He then tapped her on the back, urging her to follow him. She let him lead her by the small of her back as they approached the Reaper silently from behind.
"Pardon me." Sebastian called. "We have a few questions for you… as our senior."
The shit-eating smile was enough to worry Marianne, but the Reaper only pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"I have nothing to say to you."
He made to walk away, but Sebastian latched onto his wrist.
"Don't be like that. Let's step outside."
Spears tried to pull away, but the demon held firm.
Watching them from afar, Dagger smiled while Ciel had an incredulous expression on his face.
"Well, look at them! Best mates already!"
From the shadows, Beast watched Sebastian's calmly determined expression while Marianne made the move forward. She huffed and turned away.
"All the new recruits are freaks these days."
Joker laughed at her side.
"But so talented!" he said. "Ah, right. Listen, Beast, and the rest of ye, too."
His tone then became serious.
"Father says there aren't enough sweets for the main event."
Everyone gasped at his words.
"We'll do it tonight." He turned away. "Tell Dagger and Doll for me."
Marianne sat on a crate outside the tent, her chin balanced on her knuckles as she watched Sebastian and William stood on opposing sides of one another. They were gathered under a flickering lantern, her dark blue eyes watched the shadows dance and twist over the pallor of her mate's face. The Reaper was the first to speak.
"Are you certain you wish to speak with the presence of a human?" he asked.
The demon nodded his head.
"Since she has already witnessed your practices and mine, there is no need for secrecy when she already knows of our existence."
William sighed.
"Very well. We shall proceed."
He then went into the matter at hand.
"Why am I here, you ask?" He used his Scythe to push his glasses up his face. "To think that I, an administrator, would be impressed into field duty to clean up after a certain prat in Collections while he's suspended! I curse my luck."
William sighed heavily.
"I didn't think graduating with him entailed travelling around fixing his mistakes."
Marianne furrowed her brow in thought.
"Isn't he collecting the stray souls on the To-Die List and the anomalies? We bumped into him some time ago, when he was dealing with the strange occurrence of a reanimated Drossel Keinz," she said. "He was most devastated by the loss of his customised Death Scythe."
William snorted.
"I'm sure he was."
Sebastian then spoke up.
"I assume that a Grim Reaper personally doing undercover work implies special circumstances?" he inquired.
The reaper fiddled with his glasses again.
"Do you really think I'd reveal soul-related information to a demon?" he retorted. "That would be like setting rabbits loose before a wolf."
Sebastian smirked and stroked his hand over one of Marianne's fluffy curls.
"I'm afraid I have no interest in cheap souls."
Spears sneered.
"Fine words for a starving demon. I know you're half-mad with hunger."
Sharp, snarling teeth peeked through Sebastian's smile as his eyes glowed demonically in the darkness.
"I've long since tired of ripping into every soul I see," he answered darkly. "The hungrier one is, the most satisfying one's dinner."
He licked his lips salaciously as his eyes met Marianne's. She blushed under his intense gaze.
William broke their intimate moment with two words.
"How perverse."
Sebastian smiled.
"Not as perverse as your temp worker."
He then removed his left glove just enough for his contract seal to be seen.
"And you can rest easy. I am on a lead at the moment."
Marianne blushed but didn't comment on his words.
Spears pondered his words for a moment.
"Very well. I'll speak plainly." He stared them in the eye as he spoke. "In the next few days, we plan to review a large number of souls in this area. This is a very special case, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't interfere."
Sebastian smirked as he replaced his glove.
"That sounds very taxing. Why don't I assist you?"
The Death Scythe swung towards him, the edge catching Sebastian's top hat. The blade sat dangerously close on his shoulder, barely inches from his neck. Marianne gasped and leapt to her feet. Trembling, she looked towards William.
"I can't abide unpaid overtime. If you interfere, I'll cut you down," said the reaper.
Sebastian merely smiled as he caught his hat with one hand, and gathered Marianne to him with the other.
"I don't associate with reapers for the fun of it in any case," he said, placing his hat back on his head. His fingers ran over the rim as he continued to speak. "Particularly as I have no interest in cheap souls."
Marianne slapped him on the arm.
"Sebastian, don't aggravate him! We have a job to do, you know that!" she chastised.
He chuckled as he ran his hand up and down her back.
"Apologies, my dear. I just cannot resist."
The reaper watched them strangely, as though he had never seen a human stand up to a demon, and the demon not retaliate by eating her soul and instead only laugh; he would need more information.
Ciel then called out to them from the tent.
"Oi! The show's about to start. That obnoxious knife-thrower wants you," he said to William.
Spears eyed him curiously.
"I can understand the girl, but he doesn't look very choice to me. Really, I'll never understand demons."
Marianne winced at the fact he implied Sebastian should eat her, and Sebastian clenched his hands against her in silent fury. To even suggest he kill his beloved mate? It was inconceivable!
Ciel answered back with a firmness belying his age.
"Don't call him that here. They took it as a joke earlier, but still. If you can't blend in with the humans, you're worse than that ginger riff-raff who has the poor taste in insulting Marianne," he sneered.
William twitched at the insult.
"Indeed. Now, we won't interfere with your work, and you won't interfere with ours, agreed?" Sebastian smirked.
"Excellent, since I despise the very sight of you." William snarled.
Ciel wholeheartedly agreed.
"Perfect. Then it's decided: we'll stay far out of each other's way."
Marianne sighed heavily, feeling more than a little strangled by the intense atmosphere. William nodded his head in agreement.
"Well then, Smile… Please keep your little dog firmly reined in."
The boy sneered at him.
"I don't want to hear that from a man who can't even go properly undercover, Four-Eyes."
William sniffed.
"I'm not Four-Eyes. I'm Suit."
Ciel rolled his eye and turned away.
"Let's go, Sebastian, Marianne."
Sebastian bowed and took the girl by the hand.
"Certainly."
"Right behind you." Marianne smiled.
Back inside the tent later that night, the first-stringers were performing their acts before the audience. Jumbo was breathing fire. Peter and Wendy were up in the air, flying on the trapeze. Beast cracked her whip and sent Betty leaping through flaming hoops. A performance spectacle the likes of London had never seen.
Meanwhile, the trio were working backstage, moving props around. Ciel, of course, was struggling, since his occupation as a noble did not take into consideration the lifting of heavy objects. Marianne looked over her shoulder at him.
"Here, let me help you."
Ciel grunted painfully.
"Thank you."
Gathered outside the tents after the show, Joker smiled as he held a piece of paper in his hand.
"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! It's the tent assignments!"
Ciel sat on top of a crate, panting heavily.
"Right…"
Marianne rubbed his back soothingly. Joker leaned forward and tried to pull a smile back on his face.
"Well, don't 'ee look down in the mouth. Smile, smile!" he laughed.
Ciel chuckled awkwardly.
"R-Right!"
Life is even harder than I thought it would be! He thought to himself.
Joker smiled as a boy with brown hair, blue eyes and freckles stood by his side. His hair fell to cover his left eye.
"The results of our impartial lottery: Smile, 'ee be in tent eight." Joker said, as he pointed to the freckled boy. "And here's thy roommate!"
Ciel stared at the boy for a moment.
Now I'm suddenly rooming with a stranger? This will be rough.
"Black and Kitten, 'ee be in tent nine."
The earl leapt to his feet in protest.
"Black and Kitten aren't rooming with me?" he asked.
"No, why?"
Dagger laughed at him.
"Smile, you're fairly tied to your sister's apron strings! Time to be independent, and let her have some alone time with her fiancé!"
Ciel sighed heavily.
"That's not what I…"
This is bad! He thought. If I'm separated from them, I can't move freely.
"I'd really rather Black and Kitten…"
Joker interrupted him.
"And Black and Kitten's roommate is… Suit!"
Time stood still. Marianne's eyes went wide.
Oh no… This is going to be bad…
Sebastian and William were not impressed by any means. The poor girl was stuck in the middle of a death glare match between the demon and the reaper, made even worse as they were doing it over her head.
"Look, they're delighted!" laughed Joker.
And you're either completely blind, or downright stupid! She thought.
"Right, let's be off, Dagger. We'll leave the young lads and lady to it!"
"Goodnight!" Dagger called.
He and Joker walked away.
A cold wind blew between the five of them. Silence reigned over an atmosphere that could have been cut with William's Death Scythe. Marianne glanced between the two supernatural men and sighed before she went over to Ciel and brought him into her arms.
"Come on, I'll see you to your tent."
Ciel accepted her offer, and together, they walked away to tent eight with Freckles.
Once inside, Freckles tossed his belongings up onto the top bunk and hoisted himself up.
"Say, can I have the top bunk?" he asked.
Ciel placed his suitcase down on the ground.
"Be my guest. I fancied the bottom one myself," he replied.
And I don't want to climb. He added mentally.
Marianne walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"Okay, I'll leave you to get settled. Have a good night."
She stroked her fingers through his bangs and walked out of the tent.
Freckles watched her walk out for a moment before he turned back to Ciel.
"So, I've been noticing all day, you and your sister speak really proper English!" he commented.
Ciel was startled by the question, and tried to remember the backstory they created for such situations.
"My sister was a governess, so she had to be properly educated, and made sure I had the same. I guess you could say I was her first charge," he explained.
Freckles nodded his head.
"Oh? Well, ask me any circus questions! I've been doing this longer than you."
"All right."
An idea then struck the older boy.
"Ah, I know!"
He reached into his sack, and smiled down at Ciel.
"I'll give you one of these to celebrate us meeting!"
Ciel stared at the offering. Three Funtom candies stared back at him in their coloured wrappers, imprinted with a crowned black cat silhouette.
"Top-of-the-line Funtom sweets. They're all the rage!" laughed Freckles. "There's milk, caramel, and strawberry. Which do you want?"
The young earl gave a slight smile.
"Caramel, then…"
He took the offering quietly. Freckles leaned back in his bunk and stared at the two remaining sweets.
"You know, the first time I ate one of these, I honestly thought 'I didn't know something could taste so good!'" he said. "Say, Smile…"
Ciel glanced up at him, still holding his uneaten treat.
"Training might be rough, but do your best. If you do your job right, you won't get yelled at or punched, and you can eat as many sweets and biscuits as you want."
The boy remained silent.
When Marianne walked into tent nine, she found Sebastian standing to the side, watching William draw a line in the dirt with his Death Scythe.
"You'll be taking the top bed," the Reaper explained. "Everything on this side of the line is my property. No trespassing, please."
He gestured to the side of the line which had direct access to the bottom bunk. Sebastian accepted this with a smile.
"Very good, Sir."
William wasn't impressed with his answer and turned away.
"Now, let me clear up one thing: unlike demons, Reapers need to sleep. Don't make noise in the night and disturb my sleep."
He then caught sight of Marianne in the entryway.
"And keep your carnal pleasures to yourself as well."
Sebastian spotted her and smiled.
"As if I would let the likes of your kind see my precious darling in such ecstasy. Demons are incredibly possessive, you know."
Marianne blushed bright red and walked towards him.
"Sebastian!" she chastised. "Why is it you seem intent on making me turn bright red?"
The demon chuckled.
"Because I cannot resist seeing you blush so becomingly. I believe it goes all the way down your neck…"
"That's enough of that!"
Sebastian stroked her fluffy curls and gestured her towards the dressing screen as he handed her a winter nightgown. She accepted the garment with a smile, brushed her fingers against his cheek, and disappeared behind the screen. He then turned back to William.
"Also, demons do occasionally enjoy some recreational sleep."
Without another word, he set about making Marianne's bed for the night, well aware that the Reaper would never permit her to share his bed. She wasn't quite at that stage of intimacy either, despite being able to fall asleep in his presence.
William watched the domesticity in surprise. When Marianne emerged from behind the screen, face free of make-up, and dressed in a white nightgown that covered her from wrist to ankle, she walked on dainty feet to Sebastian and sat down on the bed. She tied her hair back into a plait and slipped a dagger under her pillow. Blue eyes stared up at the demon with an emotion the Reaper could not comprehend when applied to the vermin that were Hell's inhabitants.
That night, fog swam over the tents. The moon glowed in an eerie sneer as it watched the happenings below. Beast stood at Betty's cage, dressed in a hooded red cloak.
"Here we go."
She opened the iron gate with a screech, reached down, and stroked the tiger's head.
One after another, the first-stringers came out of their tents. Inside her tent, Doll painted intricate lines and thorns on the side of her face hidden by the roses of her wig; veins bulged under the flesh near her eye. She placed the brush down without a word and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
Joker stood at the gates of the circus, and was soon joined by the rest of his compatriots. All of them, except Snake, stared back at him.
"Time to go," he said.
They ran off into the night, towards the illuminated streets of London.
Sebastian lay in his bunk, staring up at the ceiling when he sensed the departure of a number of people from the circus. He sat upright, glanced at the sleeping Marianne curled up under the covers of her bed near the tent's entrance, and made to move. The shears of the Death Scythe shot up and blocked his way.
"Where are you off to? It's long past lights-out." William said, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Good grief."
Sebastian glared at him.
"I'm sure you've noticed what's happening. Shouldn't you go?" he asked.
"It deeply offends me to receive concern from you… And that matter is out of my purview. I'll thank you not to wander about without your master while I sleep." William answered.
The demon wrinkled his nose, but didn't protest.
"Very good, Sir."
Spears immediately became suspicious.
"You're acting disturbingly meek."
Sebastian brushed his hand over the Scythe.
"My master never ordered me to shadow the troupe," he said with a smirk. "I'm a more faithful dog than you might think."
The reaper looked away.
"That's far from sane."
Either way, he retracted his Scythe.
Sebastian lay back down in his bed and stared up at the ceiling once again.
"I'll be bored until morning…" he muttered under his breath.
He heard Marianne groan in her sleep, and let out a whimper. It seemed her nightmares had come again. Reaching out for her subconscious, the demon delved into her dreamscape, and sought the origin of her despair…
Marianne was laid on her back, pinned down by many dark figures, her legs spread wide. She struggled desperately against them, while her ears rang with the song she had heard again and again…
London Bridge is falling down
Falling down
Falling down
London Bridge is falling down
My Fair Lady
"Let me go!" she cried. "I won't let you do this! I will never be yours for what you want!"
She kicked and punched, scratched and clawed, but she couldn't get to them.
Through the darkness, she saw a dark figure approaching, his eyes glowing magenta and his mouth smiling with fangs. With vicious talons, he sliced through her captors. Marianne stared up at him as his high heeled feet clicked against the floor. He knelt down and she watched his face form into a face she recognised.
"Sebastian…?"
His face looked as though it were crafted from black marble, and black feathered wings unfurled from his back. Sebastian gathered her into his arms and cradled their bodies with his wings.
"I will always protect you, my precious mate."
Marianne curled into his arms and let him press his lips to hers.
Sebastian withdrew from her dreams once she was settled and safe again. Maybe his night wasn't going to be so boring after all…
A policeman walked through the fog ridden streets of London, his lantern the only light. A little girl's voice called out to him.
"Oh, Sir!"
He turned around and saw the little girl, dressed in rags and brown pigtails. A basket of flowers in her hand.
"Please buy some flowers, Sir!"
The policeman sighed.
"There have been lots of kidnappings lately, missy! You get on home, now."
"But if I don't sell them all, Mummy will…" the girl whispered, tears building up in her brown eyes.
The policeman glanced at her basket, and found it empty. He then looked at the bunch of flowers in her hand. Heaving a sigh, he purchased the flowers. With a smile on her face, the girl hurried away.
"Thank you, Sir!" she cried.
"Now go straight home!" ordered the policeman.
The girl ran away into the night. Another policeman approached his comrade.
"Always a soft touch," he sighed.
The first policeman smiled down at the flowers.
"When I think that my Emily's just her age…"
"You're overprotective, that's what."
The little flower girl continued to run through the streets, her pigtails flying behind her.
"Yay! Mummy will be so pleased, and I can help pay for Jimmy's medicine!" she laughed.
The sound of a flute echoed through the alleyways, and the girl ground to a halt in front of a circus poster.
"A circus!" she cried. She looked down at the shillings in her hand. "Maybe if I work really hard, I can take Jimmy there!"
The flute playing only seemed to grow louder. The girl stared into the dark alleyway, and cautiously stepped towards its mouth.
In the shadows, Joker smirked as he stopped playing his flute.
The little girl glanced around.
"Hullo there, darlin'! Do 'ee like circuses?"
Joker landed on the ground behind her, his knitted beige scarf fluttering in the wind. She turned around and gasped.
"If 'ee have some time, stay and have a look."
He made a bouquet of pink flowers appear right before her eyes. The little girl nodded her head enthusiastically.
"It's show time!" he called out.
An explosion of pink flower petals rained down over her. Doll appeared and began to dance and leap with the grace of a prima ballerina. The world around them disappeared, and was replaced with a path of flowers. Wendy and Peter swung back and forth on trapeze swings, leaving sparkling trails in their wake.
"Welcome…"
"…to dreamland!"
The girl was in awe. Joker knelt down and placed his skeletal hand on her shoulder.
"Don't be afeard, now," he whispered. "Past the knap of the hill, thy chariot awaits to take thee to dreamland."
At the end of the path of flower petals was a glittering pink carriage, drawn by white horses.
"Off 'ee be, now, my sweet."
She walked towards the carriage, dropping the money as she did so.
Watching them from above, Doll saw the little girl walking into the darkness of the alley, her face was as blank as the name she bore.
As the policeman walked with the flowers tucked into his coat pocket, one of the dropped coins rolled out in front of him. He watched as Joker opened the door of the black carriage, the little girl smiling up at him.
"She's…"
He threw his lantern away and blew his whistle. Doll was startled by the sound. The little girl turned towards the policeman, but still only saw the dreamland surrounding her, and the man as a white bear bounding in their direction.
"Mr Bear! Do you need something?" she asked.
She giggled as he drew closer. When the policeman stopped in front of her, he wondered what could be wrong with the girl.
"What's the matter?!" he cried out.
Jumbo crept up behind him and slammed a mallet down on his head. From the little girl's eyes, it looked like the bear's head had exploded in the form of a party popper. In reality, blood was spurting out of the man's mouth like a burst pipe. Red seeped deep into the cobbles…
More police officers arrived on the scene. One was immediately embedded with knives thrown by Dagger. He winked at the girl as he juggled his knives. Taking out the policemen one by one, the girl laughed at the performance, as the bears strolling towards her exploded like confetti balls from a circus cannon.
"Spiffing!" she cried, clapping in glee.
Beast cracked her whip, and wrapped it around one of the officers' neck. Joker then spoke to the little girl.
"Go on, me beauty. The chariot's ready."
"Right!" said the girl.
She climbed into the carriage without hesitation. The driver snapped his reins, and the carriage set off into the night.
One policeman, bleeding profusely from his wounds, staggered to the mouth of the alley, and watched the carriage ride away.
"D-Damn it! St-Stop!" he gasped.
He made to pull the trigger of his gun, when Doll leapt from her perch, and shot the end of her umbrella at him. The end was an enormous bullet as it impacted with his body. He hit the ground with a thud, but he crawled forward and latched onto her ankle with a leech's grip.
"How dare you…"
Doll shivered under his ruthless gaze, her umbrella-sword trembling in her hands. Before she could say anything back, Joker delivered the final blow with his sword.
"Haven't I told 'ee? Never hesitate," he said.
Sunrise was upon them when the bodies were discovered. Aberline stared down at the explosion of blood before him.
"Too late again?!" he cried.
He turned away and touched the brim of his bowler hat.
Up on the rooftop high above the Yard's heads, a Reaper smiled down at them, his black and blond hair shining in the sun and his glasses glinting over his green eyes.
"Right then!" he said. "Today's collection, over in a jiffy. Off to party!"
He picked up his Death Scythe, which had the appearance of a lawnmower, and leapt off the roof.
Back at the circus, Ciel was asleep in his bed. But that wouldn't be the case for long…
"Oi! Oi!" shouted Freckles, shoving his shoulder to get him to wake up.
Ciel groaned in his sleep, and blearily opened his eyes.
"Sebastian…? Marianne…?" he murmured.
Freckles wrinkled his nose.
"What are you on about?! Wake up!" he shouted.
The boy snapped awake and clamped a hand over his right eye, reaching for his eye patch as he clambered out of bed.
"Awake at last!" Freckles complained. "Newcomers have to get up early and make breakfast. No hanging about!"
He walked away with a toss of his hand.
"Right!" Ciel responded, his eye patch askew over his hair.
Marianne looked around the mess tent with curious eyes. Many of the lower-stringers were busy with prepping the food or cooking the meals. Ciel was crouched down at her side, shivering under his poorly put-on clothes, and struggling to peel potatoes.
"You look a right mess." Sebastian commented.
He stood at Marianne's side, smiling down at the boy.
"I see you can't dress yourself without help."
Ciel pouted and turned away.
"I was in a hurry," he huffed.
The demon stared down at the knot of his eye patch, and sighed.
"You'll have a hard time untying this yourself if you knot it too tight, my Lord," he whispered as he leant down to adjust the tie.
Freckles stared at them in awe, and then began to laugh loudly.
"Cor, Smile, Black isn't your mum, you know!"
Ciel was thoroughly embarrassed.
"No… It's just a habit… I mean, a coincidence."
He then turned to Sebastian and Marianne.
"Sebastian! Marianne! Don't treat me as your master while we're here. Leave me be!" he ordered.
Marianne arched a brow.
"I don't do that anyway. I treat you like a little brother most of the time, so it doesn't really matter," she commented with a smile.
The demon bowed his head.
"Very well. I'll start right away."
Erecting himself into an upright position, Sebastian spoke.
"Smile! How do you plan to use those potatoes? You 'peeled' them to bits!"
Freckles looked down at the baskets of potatoes; Marianne gasped at the sight. It seemed that Ciel had peeled as much as there was for eating.
"Smile, what's wrong with you?!" asked Freckles.
"I'm sorry!" Ciel apologised.
"I don't even know which part to eat!"
Marianne took one of the skins (if it was a skin) into her hand.
"No help for it, I suppose. I think I saw some fish on the way over here, so let's fry these up and make fish and chips," she suggested.
Freckles smiled brightly.
"Oh, I love that!"
Sebastian smirked as he took the potato skin from Marianne and tossed it back into the pocket.
"I'm glad to hear that."
Later on, the call for breakfast was made.
"Food's ready!"
Freckles grabbed Ciel by the arm.
"Come on, let's go, Smile," he said.
Ciel looked up.
"Go where?" he asked.
"We'll get no meat if we don't hurry!"
The boy was unceremoniously dragged away by Freckles.
Meanwhile, Sebastian and Marianne served the fish and chips. Freckles became a battering ram through the crowd with Ciel flying like a flag behind him.
Afterwards, Ciel was sat at one of the tables with only a bread roll on his plate. Freckles sat opposite with a full English breakfast piled high before him.
"What's this about? You only got bread!" he cried. He shook his head with a smile. "Oh well, guess I'll share with you. You're a wee skinny boy, you need to eat up so you can grow! Right?"
He took some food off his plate and deposited it on Ciel's. Ciel smiled at him gratefully.
"Thank you."
Freckles took a bite of his breakfast, gasped, and eagerly ate some more.
"Black and Kitten's cooking is brilliant!"
Ciel nodded his head.
"Yes, it is…" he muttered as he took a bite of his own.
"I know he said he was a butler, but he can cook, too!" Freckles exclaimed. "She was a governess, but she's not so bad either. They even made the potatoes you bungled delicious!"
"Yes, they did…"
Freckles was soon finished.
"Right, I'm done!" he picked up his plate. "Time to practice. Get moving!"
"Already?!"
Inside the tent, Ciel toppled off one of the balls Freckles made him balance on top of.
"Good grief! Where'd your balance go? You had it during the test. This is kids' stuff!" complained Freckles as he offered his hand to Ciel.
Ciel took it gladly, and the two boys looked up towards the high ceiling. They saw Sebastian balancing on top of several large balls, on one foot no less. William was balancing on a board and several wheels.
"Black is brilliant!"
"But Suit's keeping right up!"
Freckles and Ciel watched them.
"They're really something," said Freckles. "You'd better get back to normal, too."
Ciel sighed.
"Right."
"They're bloody superhuman."
"Too true."
Marianne watched Sebastian and William from her place among the silks. Sweat oozed from her pores as she held herself up only with her hands tangled up in the silk. Sebastian's gaze flickered to her for but a moment, but the intensity was enough to make her blush.
Later, Freckles wiped the sweat from his face while Ciel pushed the balls around.
"I worked up a sweat. Want to go for a shower, Smile?" he asked.
"What?" Ciel asked, overjoyed. "Is there a shower?!"
"Sure is!"
They walked to the showers together.
"It gets cold at night, so you'd best shower during the day." Freckles explained.
Ciel nodded his head quietly.
When they walked into the shower block, Ciel saw many people inside.
"Shower?!"
He was shocked at the thought of a communal shower. Men poured water over themselves while they shivered under their towels, or in nothing but their bare skin. Freckles retrieved a bucket and filled with water.
"Go on, undress. I'll wash your back!" he smiled.
Ciel was unwilling to comply.
"O-Outside, in the middle of winter? And isn't that cold water?" he asked.
"Of course!" Freckles laughed. "Now undress! You'll be fine if you get it over with quick and towel off!"
Many of the men began to watch as the boy struggled against Freckles' persistence.
"I hear midwinter swimming is a health fad among the nobility!"
Ciel refused.
"I-I think I'll pass."
"Come on, now, don't be shy!"
"I'm not being shy…!"
In their struggle, Ciel tripped over the bucket of water on the floor. They fell with a loud crash, and were soaked to the bone. The young noble was curled in a fetal position, with Freckles on top of him. Freckles supported himself on his hands and knees and looked down at his wet companion.
"Cripes, now you've got me all wet too!" he laughed.
Ciel glared up at him.
"Would you please move?" he snapped.
"You're soaked already anyway. Give up and undress!" Freckles ordered.
He grabbed onto Ciel's clothes and tried to pull them off.
"Please, don't!" cried Ciel.
"But you'll catch cold in those wet things!"
Freckles managed to pull part of Ciel's shirt up and exposed his pale side.
He stopped when he caught sight of the brand burned into the skin.
"Let me go!"
Ciel finally succeeded in pushing Freckles off him. Without saying another word, he ran off, still wearing his soaked clothes.
"Smile!" Freckles cried out.
As he ran off, Sebastian crossed his path, on the way to deliver more towels for the circus troupe. His red gaze watched the boy flee, knowing full well what could have caused such a reaction. The demon hoped Marianne would find him before anyone else did.
Marianne found Ciel huddled behind one of the covered gigs.
"Come here, Ciel. Warm up with me," she whispered.
Ciel looked up at her and quickly moved into her side. She wrapped her arms around him, along with her coat, and held him close, stroking his wet hair through her fingers.
"That's it… That's it…"
Sebastian joined them not long after, and draped a blanket over the boy's head.
"You'll catch cold, My Lord," he said. "I've brought a change of clothes."
Marianne dabbed Ciel's hair with the blanket. The boy gritted his teeth.
"Enough…" he murmured.
"Pardon?" asked Sebastian.
"I've had enough!" Ciel shouted. "I'll go mad if I keep living like this."
The demon scowled.
"Goodness me. Giving up already? Your fortitude ran dry fast. It's not like you to let such trifles drive you mad, Young Master."
Ciel shuddered quietly, causing Marianne to draw him closer to her.
He remembered his time with the cult…
The members as they grinned at him behind their masks…
The memory of the knife as it was driven down into his stomach…
Marianne's screams for them to stop…
His eye dilated. His breath came out as a cloud of fog.
"Not like me, eh?" he asked slowly.
Ciel bolted to his feet, shaking off water droplets and sweeping the blanket around him like a cloak.
"Quite right," he said. "I'm the head of the house of Phantomhive. Naturally it's not like me to live this way."
He turned to Sebastian and Marianne.
"We'll get this over with and leave at once!"
Sebastian smirked and bowed his head.
"Very good."
Marianne watched them with a slight smile on her face.
"Of course, Ciel."
I always thought it would be intriguing how William would react to Marianne after seeing her alive and well, and able to stand by a demon's side without having her soul eaten. He is going to be very interested in finding out who, and what she is.
Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Please read and review!
